在地球的遗迹 Ep.1
I The epidemic struck without warning. It spread like wild fire, covering the entire globe in a matter of weeks. It struck quickly and without warning, destroying countries in the matter of days. Those infected rapidly lost their mental integrity until they were nothing but husks of humans. Thier minds and bodies completely ruled by the plague, they went on violent sprees, attacking anything that moved with the ferocity of a savage animal. Doctors and medical professionals could not work fast enough to combat the disease, so the only option left was escape. NASA had been working on a project meant for space exploration, but it was now it was humanity's last hope of surviving this epidemic. The survivors near the launch sight were screened carefully for infection, then let on the ship. Most were military, as they had the skills to fight off the infected. The ship, named God's Javelin, shot into the stars, leaving earth far behind, and hopefully the horrible plague with it. Over the years the ship drifted in space, many generations had come and gone. The ship itself didn't have a completely stable social structure, so fights among the people were common. Those born on the ship grew up with this, developing fighting skills of their own. As this spirit of fighting grew, the people of the ship started to talk of retaking earth, going down and defeating the infected. As far as most were concerned though, this was just a rumor. Years passed, and this idea kept growing, until the Space Marine Corps was formed, an elite force training to retake the globe. They never got the chance. ' ' II Jason Newkirk sat in the garden dome, headphones on his head. Another tough day in the engineer corps had passed, and he was exhausted. He looked out at the artificial hills, deep in thought. He had dark, messy hair, and dark blue eyes. He had a toned body from years of climbing through tunnels and lugging around toolboxes. The mechanical door hissed open behind him, but he didn't hear it over his music. Someone approached, grabbing his arm. He took the headphones off, and looked up at the person. She looked about his age, dressed in a black and silver uniform in much better condition than his engineer suit. She had long black hair, which framed her fair face. Her violet eyes looked down at him, as if expecting something. "Get up." She said, her voice even and calm. Jason rose to his feet. "Jason Newkirk?" She asked. "Who wants to know?" She pulled him to the door. "The commander wants to speak with you." She said. "What'd I do now?" He asked. He got no response. He was led through the winding halls to a small office with a smoked glass mirror. Inside was a desk, a few filing cabinets, and a terminal was built into the desk, it's blue holographic display casting a faint light. Behind the desk sat a woman, her fire red hair tied behind her head, her bangs framing her dark purple eyes. She wore a black and good uniform, similar to the one the girl who brought Jason was wearing. "I'm assuming you know who I am?" She said sternly. "The name on the door says Commander Shura, ma'am." He remarked, sitting in the chair across from her. "So what am I in for?" "This is serious, Newkirk. You're not in trouble, though I know it was you who broke the general's window, and let loose that crazy little flying robot that's been pestering people." Jason drummed his fingers on the desk. "So then what's this about?" "There have been rumors that an infected has shown up in the poorer side of the ship. We know you have some friends down there, and we wanted to see if you knew anything." He looked at the desk, thinking for a moment. "Nope, can't say I know anything." An explosion echoed outside, followed by gunshots. "Christ.. It's already begun.." She stood up, hands on the table. "Leda, take him to the weapons locker. We need him alive." The girl nodded, taking Jason's hand. "Let's move." They ran through the halls, going against the crowd of fleeing people. They reached the locker, putting on armored suits and grabbing weapons. They ran out to the main area of the ship, and witnessed its destruction. A swarm of infected surged through the crowd, taking down anyone in their path. People tried to run, but they weren't moving fast enough. They tried to fight the horde, but had to flee, the sounds of people dying fading behind them as they ran for their lives. That was five months ago. ' ' III The fire crackled quietly, the only sound that could be heard through the quiet hull of the ship. Jason and Leda were on a bench, looking at the flames. In the months between their meeting and now, they became close friends, watching out for each other all the time. They had set up a camp in a courtyard, relatively set apart from the rest of the ship. The electric lights had gone out some time ago, making flashlights and fire their only source of light. They had been surviving off scavenged good and stolen gear, hardly getting any sleep. Leda was holding a tin can they had found earlier that day, deciding whether to save it or not. "Hungry?" She asked. "Little bit, yeah." Jason nodded. "Then let's just eat it. I'm sure we could find more." "Sounds like a plan." She pulled out her switch knife, the blade flicking out with a quiet click. She cut open the lid. "Let's hope they're still good.." She remarked. "I'll test it." He said. He put his finger in the food, taking a little bit out and eating it. "It's a little cold, but I think we'll be fine." Leda nodded. They ate quietly, the fire slowly dying. "We should get some rest." Leda said, standing up and stretching. "Couldn't agree more." Jason tossed the empty can across the camp. "I'm gonna to change out of my suit." She said walking off. "Don't look." She said, a hint of tease in her voice. Jason felt his face turn red, and he turned to the fire, which was getting less bright by the second. Leda returned a few moments later, wearing the jacket from her old uniform with a white shirt underneath and black pants. "Mind getting something for the fire?" He asked. "Let me see if we have anything left.." She said, walking to their supply pile. She came back with some thick books, which she tossed into the flames. She sat beside Jason again. "We need to get more fuel." She said. "We'll go out tomorrow.” He said. They sat in silence for a while, the fire dancing in front of them. "Well, I think I'm gonna go get some shut eye." Jason said, standing and heading for his sleeping bag. Leda nodded. "Me too." She headed to her side of the camp, laying down for the night. The two drifted off into a light sleep, constantly wary of the dangers around them. ' ' IV They slept for a few hours, day and night non existent in the void of space. Jason woke up, his eyes well adjusted to the dark. The fire has gone out, probably a long time ago. He got up quietly, grabbing the lighter off a table and restarting the flame. An orange glow spread through the camp, his eyes stinging as they adjusted. He got up again, changing into the armored suit he had. He heard a sound from across the camp, and saw Leda sitting up, rubbing her eyes. "Morning!" He called. "Hey.." She said, still half asleep. "Get ready. We're heading out soon." She nodded, getting up. The two spent a few minutes gearing up, making sure they had a working light, testing that the pistol wouldn't jam, etcetera. They finally set out down the dark hallways, a small flashlight illuminating the broken windows and bloody floors and walls of the ship. "What kind of fuel should we go for?" Jason asked. "Alcohol, dry paper, lighter fluid if we're lucky." She replied. They heard something up ahead, the sound of something fumbling around on all fours. "Looks like we got company.." She said, her voice dropping to a whisper.